Chicken Police: Into the HIVE! — Everything We Know

If you’ve ever asked yourself what a chicken in a three-piece suit would look like, then you’re about to find your answer in The Wild Gentlemen’s upcoming satirical mystery game, Chicken Police: Into the HIVE. That’s right, the roosters are back for an all-new noir-like global conspiracy, and they’re promising to bring just as many clues, suspects, and biomes to a revitalized charcoal-coated canvas. So, if you’re looking for something with a quirky edge to tide you over later this year, then you’ll want to keep a close eye on the hen-centric sequel.

The Wild Gentlemen hasn’t revealed a concrete release date for Into the HIVE just yet, but if you are looking to fill up on news and all the latest updates, then be sure to read on. Here’s everything we can tell you about Chicken Police: Into the HIVE.

What Is Chicken Police: Into the HIVE?

Chicken Police: Into the HIVE is a noir-like mystery game in which players take control of two rooster cops, Sonny and Marty, as they plunge deep into the depths of The Wilderness—a criminally charged world in which animals of all shapes and sizes populate the streets, and everyday criminal activity shrouds the underworld on a nine-to-five basis.

“You're in for a story that will affect the fate of a whole city, even the whole world, and yet it's also very real and ‘human',” The Wild Gentlemen writes in a press release. “Murder, betrayal, conspiracy, loss, friendship, and even love await you in this dramatic and absurd adventure.”

In a similar fashion as the first, Into the HIVE will generate a web of suspects to pursue, clues to unravel, and locations to explore in and around the noir world of The Wilderness. Sure enough, there’ll be plenty of dialogue, combat, and environmental puzzles to tackle. Think Paint it RED, but with a few more visual and technical improvements, and you’ll have a good idea of how it’ll look to take shape.

Story

Into the HIVE will pick up with Sonny and Marty, the Wilderness’s “toughest detectives,” as they plunge into  “the biggest case of their lives.” As for what this case will entail is still a bit of a mystery (thanks, The Wild Gentlemen), though we do know that it’ll “force them to face the darkest reaches of their past.” Color us intrigued.

In the words of its creators: “Sonny and Marty, the Wilderness's toughest detectives, are about to embark on the biggest case of their lives, which will take them through the insect underworld and force them to face the darkest reaches of their past.”

“Amidst a mound of misery and oppression, they stumble upon a worldwide conspiracy as they struggle with their own demons,” the blurb continues. “The question is: will they manage to remain ‘human' in the end? Or will they have to go WILD to set the world straight again?”

Gameplay

Similar to the first episode in the series, the sequel will have players sifting through copious amounts of engaging dialogue with witnesses, suspects, and other characters in The Wilderness. What’s more, it will also include segments of action-oriented gunplay, as well as a series of suburban districts to explore “at your leisure.”

“The soul of the game is the characters that bring it to life,” the developer explains. “There are over 30 deeply fleshed-out characters to talk to, all of them handcrafted and 100% voice-acted. The Wilderness is a world with a history that goes back thousands of years and is full of fascinating facts and mysteries. Explore the city of Clawville and with it the colorful cultures, traditions, desires, and fears of its anthropomorphic inhabitants.”

Development

NO MORE CLUCKIN' AROUND, FOLKS!
The very first Gameplay Trailer of Chicken Police – Into the HIVE! is here…
🐔🔥❤️ https://t.co/gcMaRKMIj9

— The Wild Gentlemen (@TWGdevstudio) August 18, 2023

The Wild Gentlemen first teased the outlines for the sequel back in June of 2023, at which point the indie firm posted not only a good old-fashioned preview of the game, but a series of screenshots and an elevator pitch, to boot. Fast-forward six or seven months, and the team are now be looking to bring Into the HIVE to Steam Next Fest this coming February.

“Formed in 2018 with the intention to produce the weird and unique game: Chicken Police, The Wild Gentlemen started out with a small team of 3 friends. During development it slowly expanded to 10 for full production.”

Despite the fact that The Wild Gentlemen is only a small studio, its core members have, surprisingly, been rather active in the gaming community, with credits including Ryse: Son of Rome, and Call of Duty WWII. So, hardly a new fish, after all.

Trailer

The good news is, there is a trailer of Chicken Police: Into the HIVE already afloat. Interested in seeing a bit more of Sonny and Marty in their latest adventure? You can check out the announcement trailer above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Chicken Police: Into the HIVE is expected to arrive on PC at some point in 2024. Can’t wait that long? Don’t sweat it — you can get your hands on the first playable demo during this year’s Steam Next Fest, which will be going live between February 5th and February 12th.

At the time of writing, we don’t know whether or not Into the HIVE will be hatching on the likes of Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, or Switch. If it does happen to find its way over to other platforms, however, then The Wild Gentlemen is likely to post an update over the course of the next few months.

Interested in staying up to date with the Chicken Police series? If so, then be sure to check in with the folks over at The Wild Gentlemen for all the latest updates via their official social handle here. If anything changes ahead of its debut, then we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of The Wild Gentlemen’s upcoming game? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.